Did you know that your absolute FAVORITE Disney World resort hotel may be the one that somebody else absolutely loathes?
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Today we’re looking at the hotels that YOU, our readers and followers, chose as your most hated Disney World hotels! For one reason or another, these eight resorts stood out amongst your fellow Disney fans as the most problematic!
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Cons
The first Disney World resort hotel up at bat is Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. One of the common themes you’ll see in this rundown of most “hated” resorts is the sheer size. Disney’s Caribbean Beach is one of several Disney World resort hotels that is simply HUGE and very spread out. This is by far the most popular complaint we received across all of the resorts listed today.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is HUGE and surrounds a large lake.
With a large footprint comes several bus stops, making for additional travel time in between the parks and the hotel. There’s an internal shuttle if you want to cut down on the time it takes to walk from your room to many of the hotel amenities, but that internal shuttle is a huge red flag to some guests who would rather have everything within a short walking distance.
It can take a while to walk from your room to the main building!
Another big drawback to Caribbean Beach is the fact that there are no elevators in any of the buildings. This makes for an added inconvenience if you have heavy suitcases or any mobility issues whatsoever. Be sure to request a room on the ground floor if you’re planning a trip to Caribbean Beach and have issues with stairs!
Pros
We aren’t going to fill this list up with pure negativity! For every complaint we hear about a resort, there are just as many pluses depending on what your travel party wants or needs! There are several perks to staying at Caribbean Beach, starting with the Skyliner. The Disney Skyliner gives guests staying at Caribbean Beach extremely easy access to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Skyliner flying high above Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
If you have little swashbucklers in your party, Caribbean Beach is a super fun choice for your resort stay. Many of the rooms come with a really neat pirates theme, and their main pool, Fuentes del Morro, is among the better pools at the Moderate Resorts.
Caribbean Beach Resort Pool
There aren’t a ton of dining options at this resort, but if you aren’t planning on spending a ton of time at your resort that would require dining, Caribbean Beach is a solid way to save a few bucks.
Click here to learn more about Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort!
Disney’s All-Star Resorts
Cons
Next up is a trio of Disney World Resort hotels — the All-Star Resorts! These sister hotels (All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, and All-Star Sports) belong in the Value Resort category, meaning you’re paying the lowest price among all of the Disney World hotels for fewer amenities. These aren’t going to be the most “luxurious” accommodations you’ll find in Disney World, but aside from that, there are some other key reasons why people say this is on the bottom of the list.
All-Star Movies
The All-Star Resorts are kind of the tale of two resorts — the smallest rooms with the biggest, larger-than-life statues. The combination of tiny living quarters and the in-your-face, sort of outdated statues can make for an experience that isn’t worth the savings financially.
Mighty Ducks Pool
The All-Star Resorts are also massive in their own right — combined, the All-Star Resorts have over 5,000 rooms! That’s a lot of people and can make for rather crowded buses.
Bus stop at All-Star Movies
Speaking of buses, they’re going to be your only Disney transportation options available to you. So if you see those long lines at the bus stations, you may have to call an Uber or Lyft if you want to get to your destination quicker.
If you bring a car to Disney World, don’t forget about those overnight parking fees!
The All-Star Resorts are also popular with large groups thanks to those lower room rates, so expect to see these hotels be more popular with school trips, cheerleaders, and other traveling groups that may or may not need to wake up and head out to some sort of competition at those early hours of the morning!
Pros
The clear benefit to staying at the All-Star Resorts is that you’ll be saving a ton of money. If staying on Disney World property is a must-do for your family, then you may really want to consider a Value Resort like the All-Stars. If you aren’t planning on spending as much time at your hotel and you really just need a place to crash at the end of the night, then these resorts may be the way to go.
Standard Room at All-Star Movies
Not to mention the All-Star Resorts have awesome bakery cases! These may not be stellar options from a dining perspective, but some of our favorite cupcakes and desserts are frequently found at the All-Star Resorts.
Nemo Cupcake from Intermission Food Court
You’ll end up saving a ton of money while still getting all of those perks that come with being an on-property guest, like complimentary transportation, early access to FastPass+ reservations (when available), the ability to charge to your room, and much more.
Click here to take a look at a newly reopened All-Star Movies!
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Cons
Like Caribbean Beach, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is another large, sprawling hotel with an internal shuttle loop and multiple bus stops on your way to and from the parks.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort — another large hotel surrounding a massive lake. Pretty, but makes for long walks.
It’s also pretty far from the theme parks, and since you can only get around from Coronado Springs by bus, it may take you a while to get, well, anywhere in Disney World.
Coronado Springs
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is also typically more expensive than the other Moderate Resorts (we’ll explain why in just a sec), including Caribbean Beach, which has the added benefit of the Disney Skyliner.
Coronado Springs Resort
Another common complaint about Coronado Springs is that it doesn’t feel quite like “Disney” — essentially the polar opposite problem than the All-Star Resorts, which at times can feel TOO much like Disney!
Coronado Springs’ Gran Destino Tower
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort also has the distinction of being a conference resort. With multiple ballrooms and conference centers, the hotel caters to conference guests and you’ll often see business casual-wearing adults in search of their next Happy Hour. This may not bother your family much, but it can add to that “not-so-Disney” feel.
Pros
Disney’s Coronado Springs may be pricey for a Moderate Resort, but it offers Disney luxury on a budget, in large part thanks to its new Gran Destino Tower addition, which opened in the summer of 2019. The resort features many more sit-down restaurants than the other moderate resorts, not to mention it comes with two on-site gyms (no other Moderate hotel offers this!) and a Business Center.
Gran Destino Tower sure is pretty!
The biggest and most obvious pro to staying at Coronado Springs is that for Moderate pricing you get essentially all of the benefits typically reserved for the Deluxe resorts — think Disney’s Contemporary Resort or Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. With gyms, spas, and plenty of restaurants and bars, you may be surprised at how much bang for your buck you can get at Coronado.
Click here to read all about the biggest Disney World hotel FAILS!
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Cons
So far, we’ve only covered Value and Moderate resorts — now let’s talk about one of the Deluxe resorts that guests can’t seem to fall in love with! Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, like many of the other hotels mentioned so far, is big, spread out, and hard to travel to and from. You have to take the bus everywhere with the exception of Disney Springs (more on that in a second).
Saratoga Springs
Not only does it feel large and sprawling, but it gives off a Florida apartment complex vibe more than it does a Deluxe resort hotel vibe. If you’re paying near-top-dollar to stay here, it should feel like you’re on a top-dollar vacation and NOT like home!
Pros
If you’re all about nightlife and want to spend as much time as possible in Disney Springs, then you cannot beat Saratoga Springs. The resort is within walking distance (we’re talking minutes, depending on where your room is located!) from Disney Springs, giving you instant access to all of its shopping and dining.
Paddock Pool at Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is also a great choice if you want more peace and quiet when you’re at your hotel. The large, sprawling layout lends itself to a more laid-back vibe, and you’ll find that you aren’t as “on top” of other guests as you may be at other Disney resorts.
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
If you’re into golfing, Saratoga Springs is another great choice, as you’ll be close to golf courses without having to shell out Grand Floridian-level prices.
Click here to read about what taking the buses has been like since Disney World reopened!
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Cons
We’re back to another Value resort in Disney World — this time we’re taking a look at Disney’s Pop Century Resort! As far as Value resorts go, Pop Century may suffer feel outdated and may seem to have a rather “cheap” look and theming to it. While bright and colorful, the decor themed to the decades spanning from the 1950s to 1990s can feel boring compared to some of the other, more lavishly decorated Disney World hotels.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Another big drawback and one of the reasons why Pop Century is more disliked by guests is the small rooms. If you have a bigger travel party (especially if you have more than two adults in your room), you’ll certainly feel a bit cramped.
Standard room at Disney’s Pop Century Resort
In fact, there’s not much to write home about when it comes to Pop Century. Other than the Disney Skyliner (a big perk we’ll talk about below), there’s really nothing that separates it from the All-Star Resorts.
Pros
Pop Century has a BIG plus by being situated along the Skyliner Route. This way, you feel less “trapped” and can easily travel to not only EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but the other Skyliner Resorts as well, opening up the door for way more dining options than Everything Pop.
Skyliner station at Pop Century Resort
Speaking of expanded dining options, Pop Century is walking distance from Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. That gives you access to their food court as well!
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort — just steps away from Pop Century!
The rooms Pop Century, while small, recently went through a decent renovation, so the money you’re saving by staying at this Value resort is stretched even further.
Click here to explore Disney’s Pop Century Resort!
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Cons
The next hotel on our list is another Deluxe resort — Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This is an older property built with timeshare accommodations in mind. In fact, this is Disney’s original Vacation Club property, formerly known as the Disney Vacation Club Resort.
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
While Saratoga Springs may give off an apartment complex vibe, Disney’s Old Key West gives off a “retirement home” sort of vibe, with less apparent Disney theming throughout the resort. We got another large and sprawling resort on our hands here, with multiple bus stops and an internal shuttle that signals long walks to get from point A to point B.
Old Key West Pool
Like several of the other resorts on our list, Disney’s Old Key West lacks ample transportation options. Your main option will be the bus system, although you can hop on a boat and take a leisurely trip down the river to Disney Springs.
Pros
Since this was originally intended to be a timeshare resort, you’ll find that many of the rooms are larger in size for much less money. As Old Key West is an older resort, it’s not as “flashy” and you can usually find a room here at a decent price for a Deluxe resort.
Olivia’s Cafe — a seriously underrated resort table service restaurant
That “retirement home” vibe we were talking about before can be a major plus for many guests. It doesn’t get much more quiet and laidback than Old Key West, and you may find this resort to provide some respite from the loud, busy, and wild theme parks.
Click here to read what your favorite Disney World transportation system says about you!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Cons
The last two resorts on our list may surprise you and may cause some controversy in the comments! We have to include Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa because a lot of our readers mentioned it as one of the resorts that they, yes, HATE the most!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
One of the most common complaints about Disney World’s flagship resort is that it’s far too expensive for what you get. Rooms at the Grand Floridian easily cost several hundred dollars per night, and that’s for your standard size, standard view room! You can find Deluxe accommodations across Disney World for less per night with all of the same amenities.
Grand Floridian
Many of our readers pointed out that the Grand Floridian often comes across as too pretentious and even a bit dated, especially in the rooms themselves (seriously, who else feels those “grandma vibes” from looking at the rooms?). That pretentious feeling the resort may give off to some guests makes it a less-than-ideal choice when you’re traveling with little kids.
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Most of the rooms at the Grand Floridian are not accessible by the main building, meaning that you’ll have to go outside for basically anything you need at the resort. This is not great for such a rainy climate as Central Florida! If you’re paying literally top dollar to stay here, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting your hair wet just to grab breakfast!
Pros
This is, of course, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, so there has to be SOME sort of pro for staying here, right? Of course, there is! Staying here is truly at the height of Disney World luxury, and you can feel that in nearly every corner of the resort. You simply cannot beat the dining options here, from casual sit-down dining at Grand Floridian Cafe to the ultimate dining experience that is Victoria & Albert’s.
White Glove Chocolate Truffle Service
You also can’t get much closer to Magic Kingdom than at the Grand Floridian! If your priority is to spend as much time as possible in the Magic Kingdom and you have it within your budget to stay at one of the Monorail resorts, you should strongly consider doing so.
Grand Floridian and Monorail
For even more options to get around, there’s a newly completed walkway from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom, offering a scenic 15 to 20-minute walk in between destinations!
Click here to see if you’re still WASTING your money in Disney World!
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Cons
Last but not least on our list of Disney World hotels people seem to hate is Disney’s Contemporary Resort! This is one of Disney World’s original hotels, opening up in 1971…and many feel that the hotel feels a bit old and dated.
The lobby at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The theming and decor aren’t all that magical, and our readers commented that it gives off a rather stale feeling, almost like an airport or an office. At a high price tag, many guests can’t seem to justify spending extra to stay somewhere that totally lacks that extra magical Disney touch you may find elsewhere.
Pros
Like the Grand Floridian, Disney’s Contemporary Resort has the advantage of being steps away from Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary is by far the closest hotel to the Magic Kingdom’s gates, and for that reason alone many families choose to stay at this resort.
Chef Mickey’s
There are also excellent dining options at the Contemporary! They have something here for just about everybody, from family-friendly dining at Chef Mickey’s to the ultimate date night experience at California Grill. And if you get the right room, the views are INCREDIBLE! And the monorail goes through the resort, which may be a bit draw for kiddos. On top of this, the rooms are being rennovated.
Click here to read about what YOU should eat on your next trip to Disney’s Contemporary Resort!
There’s a Disney World resort hotel out there for everybody, but not everyone will agree on which resort that is! While every resort on property has its drawbacks, they each have something unique to offer that may be perfect for your family! We hope this helped shed some light on the important factors you may not be considering when deciding where to stay on your next Disney World vacation!
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We are DVC members . Our home resort is Old Key West. I enjoy the tropical vibes of the resort because we live in the north and our grey every day cooold winters are spent thinking and dreaming of warmth , blue skys , sun and green tropical trees and plants. Old Key West has all of that going for us. But the negatives are many. Recently the had a renovations of the rooms . We stayed in a ” completely renovated ” studio. The old And dated furniture was repainted ,table, chairs and headboards. It still had two beds and no comfortable chair or sofa for relaxing. So no change in configuration of the space. The kitchenette was repainted except one lower cabinet remained unpainted and did not match. The old narrow tiny cabinet was still there just repainted and a tiny t.v. remains on top of it . New window treatments were up and the old repainted chairs had new fabric seats. I will say the bathroom was nicely renovated. We have stayed in many other DVC renovated rooms and they were indeed actually renovated and space was rearranged to include a nice size cabinet , a comfortable sofa or large lounge for relaxing. As well as a table and 2 chairs and some have a pull out decorative twin bed. All have large flat t vs I don’ t understand how Old Key West rooms are suppose to be larger than other studios but have diminutive furniture and feel cramped and no chair or sofa for relaxing or addition sleeping. The studio has 2 beds with the new
type foundation with an open area under them for luggage storage. That it . The other problem with Old Key West is it lack of food availability and limited selections ( other than Olivia’s ). One sit down restaurant , one bar and one walks up counter. There is no place to sit to get out of the rain or sun or heat other then a few umbrellaed picnic tables. Old Key West is a large and rambling vacation complex to have such miniscule food offerings and comfortable places to eat it especially if you need to get out of the elements. I would rather have a place like Gasparilla’s or the Artist’s Palette then a scuffleboard or tennis court at the complex. Despite the major disappointments I love Old Key West. Just wish we weren’t treated , by the power deciders and holders of Disney Vaction Club like the poor step sister of the DVC’s .
Literally riverside is the worst Disney hotel I’ve ever stayed at and I’ve been to Disney 15 times. It is huge and so spread out. Not a lot to do unless your an adult and not close to any of the parks. Since the hotel is so big the bus makes several stops inside the resort because it is so large. Also it sometimes shares a bus with French quarter. When you want to get to the parks early, you are on the bus for about 15 minutes before it even leaves for the parks. It took the bus about 35 minutes to get to magic kingdom and it wasn’t even a peak week. We were going to stay at the boardwalk bit Disney told us we could save 500$ if we switched. I will never stay there again. The only pro is that you can boat to Disney springs
I think you left out the biggest “con” of the Contemporary resort: the noise factor. If you have a room with a window which faces the “Grand Canyon,” you’ll find that all the noise of the shops, restaurants, and especially the monorail, mean that your stay will be anything but restful.
I’ve stayed multiple times at the Grand Floridian, and you can put me squarely into the “pro” camp. (I travel without children, so that’s probably a factor.) Everything’s a matter of personal taste, of course, but I’ve found everything to love at the GF, especially the Cast Members who work there, all of whom go that extra mile to make your stay perfect. The monorail, boat, and walking access to MK plus the monorail (with transfer) access to EPCOT make this the most convenient resort in terms of location. In addition, the bus service to DHS and AK is far more convenient than I expected and far above the service at some other resorts I’ve experienced. If only they’d get their closed restaurants reopened!
My absolute worst experience in our 100+ nights at WDW was at Caribbean Beach. Dirty room, dirty grounds outside our room, and the worst customer service experience I’ve ever had. We are DVC members and have stayed at nearly every resort on property except the Value Resorts. We did stay at A of A in the mermaid rooms one time to see if it was worth the hype, and besides being “cute” for photos, it was meh.
I shared my experience at CBR in some “ning” chat room for people who scrapbook Disney and got kicked off the site for that opinion because the moderator said I wasn’t being nice. Ha! Not surprisingly, the moderator just loves Caribbean Beach and calls it her “home” resort even though she is not DVC and hadn’t stepped foot in WDW in 7 years. She’d never stayed anywhere other than a Value Resort for comparison at that point, so there you go. Started my own website after that!
Glad I’m not the only one who thinks CBR is a huge disappointment. Ironically, I will be staying there for four nights next week to see if they can redeem themselves or if they are still bottom of mine and my family/friends’ list. Only doing it because it is for a business trip and not on my dime. I’d never pay good money to stay there. Fingers crossed it isn’t still disgusting.
Nancy, I hope it exceeds your expectations based on your previous experience.